Infographic: Lobsters vs. Langostinos

This year’s celebration of National Lobster Day is being met with steep prices in the U.S. northeast after an unusually cold winter stymied supply.

New England’s springtime lobster stock has dwindled significantly following months of record-breaking snowfall and cold fronts at the onset of 2015, industry observers posit – the water simply hasn’t reached a temperature warm enough to bring the lobsters in closer proximity to shore. But while stock is down, demand is still booming, which has left some retailers with little choice but to boost their prices.

"This is the first time I have had to raise prices in 6 years," Susan Povich, owner of Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn, told CNN Money. Whole lobsters are currently selling at USD 15.99 (EUR 14.19) at Povich’s establishment, a leap over last year’s price of USD 12 (EUR 10.65).

Over the past few years, international demand for U.S.-caught lobster has skyrocketed, with China importing USD 90 million (EUR 79.8 million) worth of the crustacean in 2014. Waters are expected to warm by late July into August, and with warmer oceans, the lobster stock should rise once more according to Matt Jacobson, executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, and CNN Money.

Langostinos have been used by retailers and restauranteurs as an inexpensive addition and alternative to lobster in the past, a trend that could arise once more if prices remain high during summer months when demand typically increases. Take a look at how lobsters and langostinos (Spanish for “little lobster") differ and relate in the infographic below.